Gingers
by JimbabweK88
Summary: (mAU; Disney X-over) This is about four, female best friends (Anna, Ariel, Merida, Jessica) who share a loft and learn to live together as friends and as a family. While ships such as Elsanna and Arielsa will be featured along with others, they will be taking a back seat to the friendship dynamic of this story. Rated M for language and suggestive content (it may contain smut later)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **_This is a multi-chapter story I've started recently. It's not going to be dark and dour or angsty. It may have serious moments, but this story is going to be primarily light-hearted and more humor-driven. There may be smut later on (I haven't decided if I want to incorporate smut in to this story), but I'm still working stuff out. I plan on keeping the chapters between 3,000 words and 6,000 words. Will some chapters be shorter or longer than those numbers? It's a possibility. My general goal for this story is to keep within those boundaries, though._

_Anyways, this story is based on the lives of four female friends all of whom are redheads, hence the title of this fic. It features Anna (Frozen), Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Merida (Brave), and Jessica (Who Framed Roger Rabbit). **If you've come here looking specifically for Elsanna or any other relationship, then you're going to be disappointed. While this story will feature ships, the shipping isn't the driving force of this story.** The main point of this story are the friendships between the four leading characters. If you're an Elsa fan, she will be in this story as will most of the main Frozen cast at some point._

_So, without further ado, I give you chapter one of Gingers. I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

**Gingers**

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

The door flew open with the doorknob crashing in to the wall.

"Jesus, Merida, be careful," Anna shouted. "You'll put a hole in our wall."

Merida grunted. "My bad," she spoke sarcastically. "These boxes are heavy."

Merida held two large boxes one stacked on the other with her chin sitting awkwardly on the top box. They were filled with useless knick knacks that Anna had collected during college. Why she was carrying Anna's boxes she still didn't know.

"Where do you want these boxes?" Merida breathlessly asked.

Anna, holding a pile of clothes, nodded her head down the hallway. "Put them in mine and Ariel's room."

Merida marched down the hall to the last room on the left. The room was spacious and barren. She wasn't sure where Anna wanted them specifically so she sat them next to the north wall. She crouched keeping her back straight. _Working out should make me better equipped to do stuff like this, but damn, these ceramic pieces of junk are freakin' heavy!_

Anna strolled in her room. She placed the clothes on top of the boxes. She patted Merida on the shoulder encouragingly. "Thank you for carrying my knick knacks."

"Next time I'm going to drop the boxes on _accident_." Merida used her fingers to make air quotes for the word 'accident'.

"You better not," Anna warned the curly redhead.

Merida grinned at her friend. Anna could see the playfulness in her expression. _I'm glad to have a friend like you_, Anna thought.

Merida turned and left the room to get more boxes from downstairs. Anna turned about her bedroom and admired the amount of space she had. Of course, she was going to be sharing her room with her long-time friend, Ariel, but she didn't mind. They bunked together in college and they always got along. In fact, they were always a bit competitive among each other.

"This room is huge!"

Anna turned to the doorway. Standing in the frame was Ariel holding two small boxes. Her long, red hair hung down the back of her head and strands of loose hair framed her face exquisitely. She was beautiful and always had been since Anna first met her in high school. Her bangs stuck out a bit and curled just above her eyes, leaving a lot of her forehead covered.

"Yeah," Anna marveled, "it's very huge. It's about twice the size of our dorm room."

Ariel walked in and sat the boxes next to the two boxes Merida had brought to the room. "I don't even know what to do with all of this room." There were two other doors in the bedroom aside from the door that led to the hallway. Ariel opened the door to her left. Inside was a large, roomy closet. She walked in. Shelves ran all along the walls of the closet and under the shelves were metal bars for clothes hangers. "We could turn this closet in to a bedroom," Ariel chuckled. "I'm pretty sure my bed would fit in here."

Anna grinned. "You came out of the closet three years ago and now you want to go back in?"

Ariel poked her head out of the closet. Her silky, smooth hair fell around her neck and over her shoulder. She grinned teasingly at her best friend. "Shut up. You know what I mean."

Anna smiled, pursing her lips - stifling a giggle. She went to the other door in the room and opened it. It led to their very own personal bathroom. _Wow, this is beautiful!_ The floors were made of marble and filed down to a smooth, glass texture. The toilet, sink, and bathtub were made of sparkling white porcelain and the walls were white as well. A large mirror stretched along the wall of the sink and the toilet. _If I had penis I could literally watch myself pee in the third person._

"Ariel, you should come see this bathroom!"

Ariel called for Anna. Anna poked her head out of the bathroom and looked at where the closet was. "Look, I'm coming out of the closet again."

Anna shook her head. "I just made that joke."

"And I implemented it," Ariel chuckled. "So, we have a bathroo-" Ariel's mouth hung open as she stepped in their bathroom. _This bathroom is beautiful!_ "Anna, this bathroom..." Ariel tried to find the words to describe it, but her mind was in awe.

"I know," Anna said. "It's so big and so beautiful. And, look at all of this space. How did the four of us luck out on such an amazing place?"

"It probably helped that Jessica talked to the landlord," Ariel admitted. "After all, she is the best with guys out of the four of us."

"Hey," Anna groaned, "I'm good with guys."

"Okay," Ariel replied, "allow me to rephrase my last statement. Jessica is the only straight one out of the four of us." She bit her lip and nudged Anna.

"I'm bisexual. That warrants some guy points," Anna said nudging Ariel in return.

"Okay," Ariel giggled. "Allow me to rephrase again. Jessica is the hot one among the four of us."

Anna opened her mouth as if to respond. With bated breath, Anna shifted her eyes in thought and then closed her mouth. She nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, I can't argue with that."

Ariel sighed. "If only she were in to girls." Ariel stared off in to nothingness as her jaw hung slack. She envisioned her hot friend wearing only a bathing suit and showing it off to her and her alone. In her fantasy Jessica would curve her lips up to form a smile oozing with seduction that no person on Earth could deny, even the straightest of straight girls. She would move her index finger in a 'come here' motion signaling for Ariel to come to her. Ariel would proceed to stumble her way to the hot redhead and just before she would mash her body against the Jessica's gorgeous body Anna snapped Ariel out of her thoughts, literally. Anna was snapping her fingers in Ariel's face.

"Earth to Ariel. Are you in there? Hello?"

Ariel shook her head. She found the real world to be a lot less erotic and thus a lot less charming. "Damn it, Anna," Ariel sighed, "I was daydreaming a magnificent dream."

"I can tell," Anna said pointing to her breasts. "Your nipples have come out to play."

Ariel looked down at her chest. Her nipples were poking through her bra and through her shirt. Her face filled with a crimson blush and she crossed her arms over her breasts. Although Ariel often flirted with Jessica in jest she never let anyone know of her fantasies for fear of ruining her friendship with the hot redhead. "Why are you looking at my chest?" Ariel demanded as she could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks.

Anna laughed. "I wasn't looking." She then brushed her lips against Ariel's ear and whispered, "I was staring." She strolled out of the bathroom leaving Ariel wide-eyed and filled with embarrassment.

_Why do I suddenly feel the need to masturbate?_ Ariel dropped her chin to her chest and sighed feeling her sexual frustration building up inside of her.

# # #

Outside Merida was looking around inside the U-Haul truck. _Hmm, what do I take next? There's the futon that can go. I'll need help with that, though. I'm strong but strength has nothing on an awkward ass, half-couch thing that will definitely give me hell going up two flights of stairs._ Merida reached behind the futon and grabbed a lamp. It was a small, touch lamp. _After Anna's two heavy boxes I think I deserve this_. Merida jumped out of the U-Haul truck with the lamp in hand and made her way into the building. As she went up the first flight of stairs she passed Anna.

"Really, Merida," Anna inquired, "that's all you're bringing?"

"Hey," she belted, "I think I've earned this. You try carrying those damn knick knacks up two flights of stairs!"

Anna shook her head as she passed her friend. "I'll do you one better, then. I'm grabbing the futon."

As Merida made her way to the top of the first flight of stairs she threw her head back and laughed. "Good luck, Puny Arms," she teasingly replied.

Merida carried the lamp up the next flight of stairs and made her way to their apartment. As Merida entered Ariel exited. They ran in to each other head on and Merida, being slightly taller than Ariel, crashed her lips against Ariel's forehead. The hair hiding her forehead did nothing to ease the blow. Both girls shrieked in pain and Merida dropped the lamp. It hit the floor and broke in to several pieces.

Ariel ran her hand along her forehead settling the pain. Merida held her hand over her mouth. She checked for blood but luckily her lip wasn't bleeding. It was just very sore. "Ariel," Merida groaned.

Ariel continued to rub her forehead. "Sorry, I'm sorry." She opened her eyes and her vision was blurry with tears. She noticed the lamp broken on the floor but couldn't tell what it was. "What's that?" She nodded to the broken lamp.

Merida looked down and gasped. "Oh, God. This is not good." She bent down and picked up the broken pieces. "This is not good at all."

Ariel's vision was still blurry. "What is it?"

"It's Jessica's lamp."

Ariel stopped rubbing her head. "You mean... the one from her mother?" Ariel began to stammer. "H-H-Her d-dead mother?"

Merida nodded her head. "Yeah," she muttered.

"Shit." It was all that Ariel could think to say. There was no better word for the moment. "Shit," she repeated.

"We need to fix this, pronto," Merida exclaimed.

"Uh," Ariel wiped her eyes so she could see clearly. "Uh, what about glue? Do we have super glue?"

"Not on us," Merida replied. "There's a store a couple blocks down. I'm sure they would have super glue? The only problem is getting Jessica to not see the lamp."

"Where is Jessica, anyways?" Ariel hadn't seen her since they arrived at the complex.

"I'm not sure. She came inside the building and then like my bra before I go to bed, she disappeared."

Ariel couldn't help but chuckle at Merida's example. "That's funny."

"This is serious," Merida said her voice rising to an almost-yell as she shoved the broken lamp in Ariel's face. "Jessica will kill us if she sees that we destroyed the lamp that her mother gave her. She loves this lamp! Here," Merida handed the lamp and its broken pieces to Ariel. "Take it while I run to the store. Don't let Jessica see it."

Ariel looked dumbfounded as Merida turned and raced down the hallway to the stairwell. _I don't know where to hide this. _Ariel looked at the broken lamp. She went to her and Anna's room. _Jessica has no reason to come in here. I'll just stick it here._ Ariel put the lamp next to the boxes with Anna's knick knacks in it. _It should be safe._ Ariel turned and left the bedroom to go get more things from the U-Haul truck.

Anna felt the truck shift beneath her feet. She turned around to see her best friend standing there. "Oh, hey, Ariel. I'm just trying..." Anna was stretching herself over the futon to grab a box that was sitting behind it, "to... grab..." Anna grabbed the box and lifted it over her head, "this box," she sighed feeling accomplished. Anna straightened herself and held the box out in front of her in both hands. "It's got my video games in it."

Ariel nodded her head. There were a lot of boxes still left in the truck including the bed frames to all of their beds and the mattresses and box springs. _This is going to take a while_. Ariel stepped forward and grabbed a box that was easily accessible. She grabbed another smaller box and sat it on top of the box she had just grabbed. Together Anna and Ariel made their way inside and upstairs.

"Where's Jessica?" Ariel asked. "I haven't seen her since we got here."

"I think she's talking to the landlord of the building?" Anna replied. "What's his name? Uh, Huns? Hans? Heinz?"

"Hans sounds right," Ariel replied. "Why is she talking to him? I thought she had everything worked out already?"

"Who knows," Anna said. "Maybe she finds him attractive?"

Ariel shrugged her shoulders.

# # #

_Look at those sideburns. Who lets their sideburns get that bushy? I could use those sideburns to dust the apartment._ Jessica cocked an eyebrow and continued to ignore the man speaking to her. _Who am I kidding? I'd get one of the girls to dust the apartment. I got us here. The least they could do is dust for me._

Jessica looked back at the man in front of her. _Even if he does have dumbass sideburns at least everything else looks great on him. Those dark, green eyes could make a girl melt. That pronounced chin makes him look like royalty. His flawless features are worthy of putting him on a Top One Hundred Best Looking Men list. The red hair is even a nice touch, but those damn, god-awful sideburns... Shave your damn sideburns!_

Jessica was calm on the exterior with her thoughts as she was pretending to listen to her landlord, Hans Westerguard. He sat across from her in a cozy, red leather armchair wearing a white suit. The way he was sitting showed off what was prominent between his legs. There was a rather large bulge between his legs that caught Jessica's attention. _If he were to shave those sideburns I don't think I'd mind taking a visit to his Southern Isles._

Jessica chuckled.

"Is something funny?" Hans questioned appearing serious.

His question registered in Jessica's mind. "Uh," she shook her head free of her thoughts, "no. Nothing is funny at all."

"Good," he narrowed his eyes at the voluptuous redhead. "Now, about the rent. It's to be paid-"

Jessica trailed off in her thoughts again. _Rent. First of every month. Of course, that's how it always is. And, I get a discount for sweet talking you down from twelve hundred to nine hundred a month. Between Anna, Ariel, Merida, and myself we should be able to make rent every month no problem._

Jessica looked back at Hans.

_This is so boring. Your nice to look at Hans, aside from those damn sideburns - I'll never get past those things, but you're really boring. I wonder how much stamina you have in the bedroom? You look like you could last a while. _Jessica's eyes fell to his groin again. _At least with a package that size you better be lasting a long time._

Jessica leaned back in the couch. She looked down at her breasts. They were naturally large and she was very proud of them. _My beautiful babies. You're both enough to lure any man in to my will. I can control and manipulate whomever I want, Ariel included. I see her fawning over my body when I pretend to not notice. You're not fooling me, my Little Seashell._

Ariel and Anna first met Jessica during their first year of college. They had all gone to the same college: University of Disney. While out sunbathing on the beach one weekend minding her own business, a crab had crawled up to her without her noticing. It brushed up against her leg and when Jessica saw the small crustacean she screamed and panicked. Ariel and Anna came running over to see what was wrong. When Jessica pointed at the crab, Ariel giggled and shooed it back to the sea. She had been wearing a blue seashell bra that day and when the crab went back to the sea Jessica thanked Ariel by squishing her buxom breasts into the redhead's back as she hugged her. Jessica befriended the two girls and from that day on Jessica referred to Ariel as her Little Seashell because of her seashell bra and due to the fact that her breasts were much smaller than her own. That was also the day Ariel developed a crush on the voluptuous redhead.

"-and those are the rules of the loft. Do you have any questions?"

Jessica was pulled out of her thoughts by Hans' words. "Uh, no, I have no questions," Jessica responded.

Hans smiled. He stood up and offered his hand to Jessica. His crotch was at eye level with her. She looked at it for a moment and then took his offer. She put her hand in his and he helped her up. When she stood she noticed his face uncomfortably close to hers. His nostrils flared and he took in her scent. "My you smell delicious," he susurrated.

_You're handsome and all_, she rolled her eyes at the sideburns, _but you're being a bit of a creep right now. _"Thank you," she acknowledged. "I should get going, though. My girls are moving stuff in and they could use my help."

"Oh." Hans seemed disappointed. His eyes averted to her breasts and she noticed right away. She cleared her throat and he immediately made eye contact with her again. "Uh, yes, as you were. Help your lady friends." She extended his arm towards the door. "It was a," he cleared his throat, "pleasure talking to you today."

_I'm sure._ Jessica forced a smile. "The pleasure was all mine."

She made her way to the front door. As she turned the knob she was stopped by Hans putting his hand on the door. She looked at the smooth, masculine hand and shifted her eyes. _If you're going to try something, I'll beat the shit out of you. Trust me, I'm scrappy as hell and I'll beat your ass._ Jessica turned around. "Yes?"

Hans straightened his back and stood with confidence. A smug grin formed across his lips. "Say, would you want to go on a date with me sometime?"

Jessica cocked an eyebrow. "Is that even allowed? You're my landlord. I'm your customer. What if other residents see us out?"

He waved them off. "It's none of their business what I do. What _we_ do." He lifted his eyebrow alluringly. Jessica wasn't having any of it, though. "I can make it worth your time."

That caught Jessica's interest. Immediately, she replied, "I want an additional hundred dollars dropped from my rent."

"Fifty dollars," he bargained.

"One hundred dollars," she said standing her ground, "and I want it all done for only this one date."

Hans narrowed his eyes at the voluptuous redhead. _Oh, fine. I'll throw in something a little extra._ Jessica squeezed her breasts together and licked her lips seductively. _God, why do I have to like dick? Why can't like pussy like my other three friends?_

Hans' eyes went wide. "Deal," he agreed.

Jessica grinned. _That's right, Sideburns. I just took your twelve hundred dollar loft and made it eight hundred dollars. Sex sells and I make the prices._

# # #

Merida came rushing upstairs. She ran in to the apartment hollering for Ariel. "Ariel! Ariel! I have the super glue! Where's the lamp?"

Ariel came trudging out her room dragging her feet with her head down.

Merida's face lit up. "Ariel. I have the super glue. Where's the lamp?"

The redhead shook her head. "It's gone," she muttered.

Merida's wide smile faded. "What do you mean it's gone?"

"Anna... she broke it in to a thousand tiny pieces."

Merida's eyes went wide and her mouth was agape. "W-What do you mean it's broken in to a thousand tiny pieces? I told you to hide it."

"I did hide it," Ariel said lifting her head to meet Merida's. "I hid it in mine and Anna's room thinking Jessica wouldn't ever go in there. Little did I know Anna would set a box on it and crush it?"

"Okay, first off," Anna shouted coming from the bathroom connected to their room, "I was not aware the lamp was there. Secondly, who places a broken lamp next to a bunch of boxes when we're moving in? Of course I'm going to set boxes there because we've established a place in the room where boxes will go. This isn't my fault, Ariel. It's yours."

"Well, either way," Ariel responded, slightly raising her voice, "the lamp is broken beyond repair and it won't be long before we join Jessica's mother six feet under."

Ariel's comment made Anna and Merida feel uncomfortable. They looked at each other and then looked back at Ariel.

"Whoa," Anna and Merida said in unison.

"Too soon," Anna said.

"Yeah, way too soon," Merida agreed.

Ariel cocked her head at the two redheads. "You didn't even know the woman."

Anna and Merida looked at each other and nodded their heads. "True," they said in unison.

"Still," Anna said looking back at Ariel, "it's your fault."

"Okay, enough of this blame game," Merida said. "Show me this lamp. Maybe it's still salvageable?

Ariel puffed a sigh. "Merida, the always optimist. I'll show you." Merida followed Ariel in to her room. Ariel pulled back a box and behind it was the lamp, completely shattered.

She took one look at it. "Oh yeah, we're fucked," she deadpanned.

"Girls, are you in here?"

Ariel shot around, wide-eyed. "Jessica," she hissed. "She's here!"

"No shit she's here," Anna said, "I know what her voice sounds like."

Ariel shoved Anna. Anna shoved Ariel. They began shoving each other while muttering to each other to stop and shut up. Merida pulled the girls back and then they incorporated her in their shoving match. All three girls were whispering to each other to shut up as they all shoved each other back and forth.

Jessica stepped in the bedroom. She watched the three girls shoving each other. "Is this something new in the LGBT community?"

The three girls stopped shoving each other at the sound of her voice. They were all staring at the voluptuous redhead and Ariel felt guilty. She could feel her cheeks warming up. _Well, I guess it's now or never. It's time to own up for your mistake. _Ariel pointed her finger at Merida. "She broke your lamp," the redhead confessed.

Merida slowly turned her head to Ariel, mouth wide open, eyes filled with shock. She sneered, "You little-"

"What lamp?" Jessica interjected.

Anna stepped forward. "Your mom. Uh, the lamp... your mother gave you."

Jessica's eyes went wide. "No," she gasped. She ran forward. "Where is it?"

Merida grabbed Jessica. "Jess, I-I-m-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I-I didn't mean to. It was an honest accident."

Jessica's eyes were welling with tears. "Where's my lamp?" She sniffled.

With bated breath, Merida pointed behind the box Ariel was standing in front of. Jessica inched her way closer to the box. _Mom. Please, no mom. It's the last thing I have from you._ Jessica hesitantly peeked over the box. When she saw the shattered lamp on the floor, she sighed with relief.

Jessica chuckled. Her chuckling evolved in to laughing as she stood up and turned around to the girls. "That's not my mother's lamp. That was just a lamp I bought at a yard sale. It was pretty, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't my mother's lamp." Jessica wiped her eyes and sniffled. "It's a good thing, too, because I would have had three dead girls stuffed in to the walls of this loft had it been my mother's lamp." She continued to laugh and walked out of the bedroom. "Oh, and I got the rent lowered an additional hundred dollars," she shouted from the hallway.

Ariel looked at Merida. She chuckled. "What do you know? It was a false alarm. Ha!"

Merida flared her nostrils and furrowed her brow. "You know what isn't a false alarm, though," she snarled, "me pummeling you for throwing me under the bus!"

Merida charged after Ariel. Ariel shrieked and ran out of the bedroom. Merida chased her out of the apartment and the redhead ran downstairs. She made her way outside and stopped as she stood next to the U-Haul truck. Anna appeared with her a few seconds later.

"You may want to lay low from Merida for a bit," Anna giggled.

Ariel nodded her head. "Lesbians be crazy and I should know!"

The comment made Anna laugh. "At least you don't get the stigma of your sexual orientation not existing. Bisexuality is a thing! I like girls. I like guys. I just happen to be a heteroromantic bisexual. I like sex with girls and with guys, but when it comes to being in a relationship I prefer the male side of things."

Ariel shook her head. "I never understood the appeal of a penis. It hangs there and gets hard when it sees something it likes. Then you have the balls that sit underneath it like some sort of oddly-shaped fruit hanging from a branch. The branch, of course, is being the penis in this scenario."

"Yep," Anna nodded, "I got that. Believe me; I've had the pleasure of seeing a few."

Ariel remembered back to the days when she would come to their dorm and see a sock on the doorknob. "Yeah, I remember," she deadpanned.

Anna stood next to Ariel and they sat on the edge of the U-Haul truck and talked a bit more. As they talked a girl came strutting down the sidewalk. Her hips swayed back and forth with each leg being put forward. She wore a thin, white top that clung to her body perfectly. It formed nicely around her breasts and her abdomen. She wore a black skirt that ran down to her knees and swayed in the breeze. Her hair was platinum blonde and put down in a French braid. Her hair glistened amidst the sunlight and her milky, pale skin was flawless. She wore a pair of stylized, black sunglasses.

The young woman caught the attention of Ariel. She stared in wonder and amazement. Anna, still talking to Ariel, noticed her best friend had checked out of the conversation. She turned her head to see what Ariel was staring at and caught the blonde bombshell. Anna's mouth dropped. As the nameless blonde passed by the two girls, she lowered her sunglasses to expose her icy blue eyes to the two young women sitting at the edge of the U-Haul truck. She bit her lower lip and smiled. She waved and kept on walking. Ariel and Anna watched her walk by. Their eyes were glued to her swaying hips.

"Dibs," Anna muttered.

Ariel's attention broke away from the nameless woman's hips. She turned her head to Anna. "Dibs? She's a woman, Anna. She's not some prize for you to claim."

Anna with her eyes still fixed on the woman's hips as she was leaving her view responded very nonchalantly. "Well, then, I guess she's mine?"

"You just said you prefer relationships with men," Ariel pointed out.

"Yeah," Anna agreed. "But, I also said I like to have sex with women and quite honestly," the nameless woman was out of Anna's light of sight now, "I'd love to eat her right up."

Ariel blushed. _Not if I can help it._ "Game on," Ariel said.


	2. Chapter 2

**.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

The girls were all moved in to their loft. Things were starting to get organized and it was finally starting to look like home. The loft was spacious enough for four girls to live even if Anna and Ariel had to share a room. Though, being roommates in college they didn't mind all that much.

"Where do you want this, Jess?" Merida asked holding one corner of their forty-two inch, LCD, flat-screen TV.

Anna was on the other side huffing and puffy. Her face was flushed and the corner of the TV was digging in to her hand. _This hurts. This hurts. This hurts!_ "Yeah, Jess..." Anna exhaled quickly and took in a deep breath and held it in her lungs. "Where... do you want... this?"

Anna was slightly slouched over. It was obvious that she was lifting with her back. Merida was standing with her spine straight and her legs slightly bent. She noticed Anna slouching. "Lift with your legs, Anna. It's better for your back. You'll slip a disc or pull something if you keep lifting with your back."

Anna was too exhausted from moving things to care about what Merida had to say. _Oh, shut up, Curls! _She listened regardless and managed to straighten her back while bending her legs just as Merida was standing. _Oh, this does feel better. I take that back, Curls. Don't shut up._

Jessica came out of her room and into the living room where the other two redheads were standing with the TV in their hands. She was holding a wall mount for the TV in one hand and a screwdriver with a plastic baggy filled with screwed in the other hand. She pointed at the center of the wall in the living room.

"I'm going to stick it right there, but first I need to screw this to the wall."

Anna sighed exasperatedly. "You mean we've been holding this TV all this time and you don't even have a place for it yet?"

"I was working on it, Freckles."

"Don't call me Freckles!"

Merida chuckled.

Anna glared at her. "Shut up, Curls!"

"I will throw this TV at you, Anna," Merida retorted.

"The hell you will," Jessica said. She walked past the girls holding the TV and placed the mount on the wall. "You'll be buying me a new TV. Now, does this look even?"

"It looks more even than your boob job," Merida snickered.

Jessica quickly turned her head. Her piercing, green eyes struck fear in the curly haired girl's heart. She averted her eyes away from Jessica. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

Anna laughed. In an almost whispering tone she said, "Merida got in trouble..."

"Shut up, Anna," Merida retorted.

"You shut up!" Anna nudged the TV in Merida's direction. Her face was red and glistened with sweat.

"You shut up!" Merida nudged the TV back in Anna's direction. Her arms quivered at the weight of the TV.

The continued their bickering while shoving the TV at one another. Jessica turned around rolling her eyes. "Both of you shut up!" She shouted. Her voice echoed in the loft.

Anna and Merida both shut up. Jessica turned around and went back to screw the mount into the wall.

"Hey, remember that time I tried to set you up with that girl?" Merida whispered to Anna.

Anna's eyes lifted from the floor. She smiled a bit as she looked at her friend. Sweat ran down her nose and her arms quivered. "Yeah, we were in the bar and she was having no part of it. She was straight, Merida!" Anna began chuckling at the memory.

"I have horrible gaydar." Merida grinned. "I didn't realize she had a boyfriend."

"You want to put this down?" Anna said nodding her head the TV.

Merida nodded her head. Anna and Merida carefully sat the TV down on the floor. When the weight was relived from their arms they both fell to the floor, exhausted.

"I started flirting with him," Anna said, continuing their story. "He was so handsome and good looking. If he had been single I totally would have taken him home for the night."

"You have fun with that," Merida chuckled.

"I don't understand how you don't like sex," Anna said lifting herself up on her elbows.

"Asexual," Merida said. Her arms and her legs were spread out on the floor. "It means I have-"

"-no sexual desires," Anna finished for Merida. "I know what asexual means. I just don't understand how one can go without sex."

"I don't need sex to live a filling and complete life. What you fill with sex in your relationships I fill with more cuddling, sweet talking, kissing-" Merida shrugged "-and it feels right to me. I've had sex before. I just didn't care for it. I didn't like it."

Anna nodded her head. "Well, I hope you find a lucky lady who makes you happy the way you deserve to be happy."

Merida took in a deep breath of air. She sat up. Her curly hair fell all around her face. She smiled graciously at her best friend. "Thank you, Anna. I hope I find her some day, too."

"Done," Jessica said turning around. "Get your lazy asses up and mount my TV."

Anna and Merida stood to their feet. They both gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am," they said in unison.

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "Shut up."

# # #

"That looks good," Jessica said. _I did a damn fine job at screwing in that mount,_ Jessica thought. _The TV is perfectly centered on the wall._ "Now we just have to wait for the cable guy to get here so he can install our cable."

Anna and Merida crashed to the floor. "Next time Anna and I get to screw the mount to the wall and you get to carry the TV."

Jessica grinned. "Come on, I'll buy you both a pizza."

Anna sat up quickly. "Pizza?! I'm game! Meat Lover's!"

"You would want Meat Lover's," Merida teased.

"I love my sausage," Anna said seductively to Merida. "I love it _all_."

Merida cringed and giggled. "Stop being so perverted."

Anna giggled. "You started it."

Jessica felt her pocket on her pants vibrate. She pulled out her phone. She had a text message. The name read Hans. _Great... What do you want, Sideburns?_

'Hey, I'm really looking forward to our date tomorrow.'

_You're not looking forward to our date. You're looking forward to staring at my tits and making cheap attempts as seducing me you asshole._

'Oh, yes, I am, too. I still get that additional one hundred dollars off of my rent, right?' She hit Send.

'You get whatever you want, baby cakes.'

Jessica cringed at Hans's reply. _Baby cakes? Really? That is so disturbing. I'm wearing my sharp-edged diamond ring tomorrow. If you try laying your hands on me I will punch you in the face and I'll shave off those ridiculous sideburns._

'Thank you, my prince.' She hit send.

Jessica went through her contacts on her phone. She stopped when she found Luigi's Pizzeria. She pressed the Send button and her phone dialed out the number.

"It's-a me, Luigi! What can I get you today?"

Jessica giggled. "Roger, stop pretending to be Luigi every time someone calls."

"Jessie! How are you?"

Jessica turned away from Merida and Anna and went to her bedroom. In a soft, sweet voice she replied, "I'm doing fine. I just got moved in to the loft with the three other girls."

"The Ginger Squad," Roger said.

Jessica giggled again. "You always know how to make me laugh."

"I'm a struggling comedian working in a pizza shop named after a Nintendo character. I hope I can make at least one person laugh." He paused. "And, who's a better person to make laugh than sweet Jessie?"

Jessica bit her lower lip as her lips stretched wide across her face. "You know, you're the only person who calls me Jessie. Actually, you're the only person I will allow to call me Jessie."

"Well, what an honor," Roger replied softly.

Jessica began twirling a strand of her long, red hair around her index finger. "Are you free this weekend?" She asked softly.

"Unfortunately," Roger replied. "Imagine the extra money I could make if I came with a price! 'Oh, you want to see Roger?' Fifty dollars!"

Jessica giggled again. "Fifty dollars? That's it? Honey, you're worth a lot more than fifty dollars."

Roger sighed. "Yeah, tell that to the comedy clubs. I'm lucky to make forty dollars let alone fifty." He sighed again. "Anyways, what can I get you?"

"I want you," Jessica murmured.

"Do what?"

Jessica cleared her throat. "Uh, I-uh, I need a Meat Lover's pizza. I also need a cheese, extra cheese pizza both with stuffed crust."

"No wonder you Gingers don't have souls. You fill the void with food."

Jessica scoffed, "Excuse me?"

Roger chuckled. "No, I'm just joking, Jessie. So, a large Meat Lover's with stuffed crust and a cheese, extra cheese with stuff crust? Should I throw in a free bottle of laxatives?"

Jessica's face softened. She giggled again. "Whatever, Roger..."

He laughed. "Your order comes up to twenty dollars evenly."

"Twenty dollars? You did make the pizzas large, right?"

"Extra large..."

"A Meat Lover's extra large is fifteen dollars alone, though. How is it only-"

"I used my discount on you," Roger said. His voice became soft and low. "You just moved in to a new place. You don't need to be spending thirty five dollars on pizza. I give the sweetest price to my sweetest customer..."

Jessica's cheeks turned red. She felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "Aww... Roger honey, you're so sweet..." _Can I take you out on a date instead of Hans, please?_

"Give me half an hour," Roger replied softly. "I'll see you soon, Jessie."

"I'll see you, Roger." She ended the call and fell back on her bed - her cheeks still red and her lips stretched wide. "If there's one man for me, I swear it's him," she murmured to herself.

"You know, all you have to do is ask him out."

Jessica sat up quickly, startled. Anna was standing in her bedroom doorway. "Do what?"

"Roger, a.k.a Mister It's-a Me, Luigi. All you have to do is ask him out on a date."

Jessica huffed. "Roger's just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less..." She shifted her eyes avoiding Anna's.

"Yeah, tell that to the flirtatious side of you. You may flirt with Hans to get what you want, but you don't flirt with Roger to get what you want. In fact, Roger is the one guy you genuinely flirt with just to flirt with because-" Anna put her index finger on her chin "-you like him."

Jessica stood up from the bed. She walked past Anna. "I do not. He's just a friend."

"Okay, fine... Just keep saying that, but when he gets a girlfriend-"

"He won't get a girlfriend," Jessica replied defensively. She shifted her eyes again. "I mean... he's too focused on his comedy routine right now. He doesn't have time for a girlfriend."

_He doesn't have time for me..._

Anna muttered under her breath, "It's okay to date someone that you genuinely like. You don't always have to be looking for things to get out of your men."

Jessica scoffed again. "I'm going to get your pizza. Good bye..."

Jessica grabbed her keys and left the loft, slamming the door behind her.

As she went downstairs she scowled. _What does Anna know? I've liked guys for reasons other than to get things out of them in the past. In high school there was William. Oh wait; he bought me those shoes I wanted. Okay, in college there was Adam... no, he bought me my college text books. Oh, Al! _Jessica sighed. _Nope, he bought... Well, no, he actually stole me that carpet I wanted so desperately that now stays folded up under my bed... Well, at least I have Roger...-_ and then it set in _-...who gave me a discount on the pizza..._ Jessica's shoulders dropped. She sighed again. _Am I really that horrible of a person?_

As she continued downstairs she passed a young man with jet black hair. He was holding a box which read 'Comcast' on it. Jessica was too lost in her mind to notice him, though. He maneuvered on by her, staring her up and down. He cocked an eyebrow and kept going.

_Whatever, I'm paying full price for this pizza_, Jessica thought. _I'm not going to let Roger be another man I use just to get something. He deserves more than that._

Jessica made her way out of the building and went to her car. She hopped in and started it and took off for Luigi's Pizzeria.

# # #

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"I got it," Anna shouted.

"Good," Merida shouted from the bathroom. "I have other problems to tend to."

Anna skipped to the front door. She turned the doorknob and opened the door. Standing in the doorway was a tall, young man with jet black hair and baby blue eyes. He cocked an eyebrow at Anna. He held a box in his hands that read 'Comcast'. He shifted the box under one arm and extended his free arm to offer Anna a handshake.

"Hi, there, did you order cable?"

Anna's mouth hung agape. _He's gorgeous..._ Drool pooled at her bottom lip. It began to spill over. She quickly brought herself out of her staring and wiped away the drool. She put her other hand in his and smiled. He closed his fingers around her hand and Anna's heart fluttered in her chest. _He has such a strong grip. _

"Uh, miss, did you order cable?"

Anna shook her head. "Uh, cable? Yes! I ordered cable. Well, I didn't order cable my best friend Jess ordered cable. She doesn't like being called Jess. Her name is Jessica. She ordered cable. Are you here to install cable? I hope so. You're gorgeous. I mean, wait, what?"

The cable guy chuckled. "You're quite a sight as well." He winked at Anna.

Anna's cheeks turned red. She felt her heart melt. _Oh, God... _

"My name is Eric. And, you are..."

"Anna," she squeaked.

"Well, Anna, do you mind if I install your cable?"

"You can install anything you want," Anna said, mesmerized by Eric's beauty.

Eric chuckled. He winked at Anna again and then walked into the loft.

Anna closed the door. She wanted to make conversation with the young man. She felt the urge to know him. "So, uh, do you do this often?" _What a dumb question. He's a cable guy; of course he does this often!_

"Installing cable is what I do. I used to work down at the fishery, but I got tired of that job. It smelled too much like tuna."

Anna laughed, though she didn't find the joke funny. "I like your sense of humor."

Eric turned to Anna. _Oh, God, he's looking at me. Is my hair perfect? Are my teeth white? Is my nose clean? Does my breath smell fresh? Look at those eyes! They're so crisp and blue like the sky. He's so dreamy..._

"Did you hear me?"

Anna shook her head. "...what?"

Eric smiled again.

_Look at that smile. How could anyone possibly look so perfect? Those teeth are so white, too. And his skin is perfectly tanned. And that chin... I would absolutely love to sit on that fa-_

"Anna," Eric said. "Are you listening to me?"

Anna shook her head. She felt a tingling sensation in her groin. She crossed one leg over the other. She gulped and inhaled a shaky breath. Her cheeks were hot. "Uh, y-yeah," she stammered. "W-What did you say?"

"The cable..." Eric held up the box. "Does it go to that TV?" He asked pointing to the flat screen hanging from the wall.

Anna nodded her head unable to speak.

Eric smiled at her again. Anna averted her eyes for fear of what she may think yet again. "You're blushing," Eric said. "You're really, very cute."

Anna sighed pleasantly at Eric. "You're gorgeous," she muttered under her breath.

Eric sat the box down. "What was that?"

Anna shook her head. "Uh, I'm thirsty... Would you like anything to drink? We have water, milk, and Cherry Pepsi."

Eric began pulling items out of the box. "No, I'm good." He pulled out a cord and began installing it to the TV. "I wouldn't mind some wine, though."

Anna furrowed her brow. "But, you're working. You can't drink on the job can you?"

Eric chuckled. When he had the cord installed to the TV he ran it to the cable line coming from the wall. "No, I can't. I actually meant I wouldn't mind some wine with some dinner."

Anna's eyes widened. _Is he asking me out?_

"If you're not already seeing anyone, of course," Eric added.

Anna's cheeks went bright red. She felt an immense heat radiating from them. _He just asked me out. He just asked me out! This gorgeous cable guy just asked me out! Yes. Yes! Calm, Anna... Just be calm..._

"Uh, no," Anna replied shaking her head, trying her best to remain calm. "I'm not seeing anyone."

Eric installed the cord to the cable coming from the wall. "So, is that a yes, then?"

Anna shook her nonchalantly. "I guess, I mean, if you _really_ want to take me out?"

"We don't have to go if you don't want-"

"I want to," Anna answered quickly. She chuckled nervously. "I mean, I want to," she reiterated, this time a bit more calm.

Eric stood up. He grabbed a few more items from the box. "Well, I guess it's a date, then?" He walked to the front door. "I just have to do a few more things outside and I'll be finished. Can I expect to see you in here when I come back?" He smiled sharply at Anna lifting an eyebrow.

Anna only nodded her head.

"I'll be back, Anna," he said softly. He opened the door and closed it behind him as he left.

Anna dropped to the floor. "I've just met the dreamiest man in the world and he wants to take me out on a date." Anna's entire body tingled. She cooed and fell back on the floor. Merida stepped out of the bathroom.

"What wrong with you?"

"I think I'm in love."

Merida shifted her eyes. "With... the cable guy?"

"Oh, he's so dreamy Merida. His hair is black and slicked back. His eyes are as blue as the sky. His skin is finely tanned and he has beautiful, sculpted muscles. His chest is broad and his arms are finely shaped. He has the cutest little butt to boot! He asked me out on a date" Anna squealed. "He asked me out on a date!"

"And you accepted?"

"I did," Anna swooned.

"You're going out on a date with a man you just met? Our cable man, no less?"

Anna sat up. She turned her head slowly to Merida. "What's it to you? Are you going to tell me how to live? You never seemed to have a problem with the girls I hook up with."

"No, I don't care," Merida said defending herself. "I just-" she shrugged "-he's our cable guy."

Anna stood up. "Everyone needs to make a living. Don't be jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Merida said her tone slightly rising.

The front door opened. Anna's wide widened.

_Eric!_

Ariel stepped through the doorway. Anna dropped her shoulders. "Oh, it's just you."

Ariel shifted her eyes. "I'm... sorry?"

"Don't listen to her," Merida said. "She's just head over heels for the cable guy."

Ariel furrowed her brow, "That movie with Jim Carrey?"

Anna and Merida slapped the palm of the hands to their forehead. "No, Ariel, the cable guy," Merida said, "as in, the man installing our cable."

"Oh..." Ariel shifted her eyes.

"It's okay, we all have our slow days," Anna said.

Ariel closed the door behind her. "Shut up, Anna."

"Did you find your blonde beauty?" Merida asked.

Ariel turned to her best friend. She shook her head. "I don't even know her name. I don't know how I'm supposed to find her."

"Blonde beauty?" Anna asked. "Do you have a crush?"

"No," Ariel answered quickly.

"Ariel said she saw this really cute blonde walking down the street yesterday when we were moving in. She told me all about her. She couldn't stop raving about her."

_Blonde... _Anna shifted her eyes. "Oh, you mean the blonde who was checking _me_ out?" Anna smirked. "She was totally checking me out, Merida. You should have seen her. She was _beautiful_. If beauty had a scale from one to ten, one being Gilbert Gottfried and ten being Laura Prepon she was easily an eight point five, because honestly no one's more beautifuller than Alex Vause."

"Beautifuller," Merida mouthed.

"Eleven," Ariel muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Anna said.

"Eleven," Ariel said speaking a bit louder. "The blonde was easily an eleven. She was downright gorgeous and you don't know if she was checking _you_ out. She winked in our general direction. It could have been to either one of us."

"Let's be real, Ariel. When people wink at us, they wink at me."

"That's because you're only worth seeing with one eye."

Anna's mouth dropped.

Merida chuckled. "I believe that's what they call a burn? Would like me to grab a cool, wet cloth?"

Anna scowled at Merida. "Shut up, Curls."

"Don't call me, Curls!"

"Curls!"

"Stop it, Freckles!"

"Don't call me Freckles!"

"Freckles!"

"Curls! Curls! Curls!"

"I'm going to beat your ass!"

The front door opened. Eric stood in the doorway. Merida had Anna in a bear hug and Anna was yanking on Merida's hair. They were growling at each other like feral animals.

Ariel looked back at Eric. "You must be the cable man?"

Eric extended his hand. "Why, hello gorgeous."

Ariel cocked an eyebrow. "And, I'm out." Ariel walked away from Eric leaving his opened hand hanging in midair.

Merida and Anna continued to fight.

"Ladies, I got your cable working."

Merida and Anna stopped. Anna was lifted up off of the ground being held tightly between Merida's arms while Anna's fingers were lost in Merida's curl, red hair. They let go of each other. They both blushed with embarrassment. "Uh, hi..." Anna said.

"Your, um, cable is working now."

"Uh, thanks," Merida replied. "I'm just-" she pointed down the hallway "-gonna go." She turned and made her way to her bedroom.

"Was that your best friend, Jessica?" Eric asked.

Anna chuckled, grabbing Eric's arm and bringing him into the apartment. "No, that's Merida. Say, you don't have to leave right away, do you? I can make us sandwiches. No, wait, Jessica is coming back with pizzas. You like pizza? How about Meat Lover's? You can stay for pizza."

Eric took a seat. "Was the other girl Jessica?"

_Other girl? Oh..._ "No, that was Ariel."

"How many of you live here?"

"Four. There's me, Merida, Ariel, and Jessica."

"Does Jessica have red hair, too?"

"She does."

Eric narrowed his eyes remembering seeing a voluptuous red head coming down the stairs while he was coming up them to the loft. "I think I saw her?"

Anna chuckled. " There's a guy that works down at Luigi's Pizzeria who calls us the Ginger Squad. His name's Roger. He's funny."

"The wannabe comedian," Eric said. "Have you seen his stuff? He sucks," Eric laughed.

Anna shifted her eyes thinking of Jessica. Even if she wouldn't admit it, she knew Jessica had a thing for Roger. "He's not that bad."

Eric just laughed and shook his head. "If you say so..." Eric stood up. "I actually need to be going. When can I pick you up?"

Anna perked up. "Whenever you're available," she said.

"How about this coming Friday? I get off work at five. I'll go home, shower, and pick you up. Does that sound okay?"

"Sounds lovely," Anna replied with a smile.

Eric lifted an eyebrow to Anna. "Well, then, Anna I look forward to this Friday."

Anna blushed. "I do, too," she replied softly.

Eric left the apartment giving one last wink to Anna. Anna collapsed to the couch. "He's so beautiful," she whispered to herself.

She picked up the TV remote and turned on the TV. She began flipping through channels. She stopped and her mouth slowly dropped open. She stared at the screen.

"Ariel," she yelled.

Ariel came rushing out of their bedroom. She stopped and her jaw dropped upon seeing what was on the TV.

Anna turned her head slowly to her best friend. "We have free porn!"

Ariel staggered over to the couch and took a seat next to Anna. "Why have free porn..."

"Eric gave us free porn."

"Keep him," Ariel muttered. "Free porn is good..." Ariel shook her head breaking out of her trance. "Wait a minute; we can get free porn on the Internet."

Anna leaned in to Ariel and whispered in her ear, "Free _high definition_ porn..."

Ariel cocked her head and looked back at the TV. "Yep, keep him."


End file.
